Adjustable foot support



Jan. 23, 1934. L. D. NOBLE 1,944,608

' ADJUSTABLE FOOT SUPPORT Filed April 14. 1930 Y .INVENTOR. ,zflft/' 9 3/ A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES ADJUSTABLE FOOT SUPPORT Leslie D. Noble, Detroit,

Mich assignor'to Carrie E. Langell, St. Clair, Mich.

Application April 14, 1930. Serial No. 444,107

1 Claim.

This invention relates to foot supports particularly for the use of people having fallen arches, and an object of the device is to provide a support of this character which may be easily and I quickly secured to the insole of a shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for the longitudinal arch of the foot that is adjustable longitudinally along the center line of the shoe to vary the position thereof to accommodate variation in position of the center of the longitudinal arch of the foot of different users.

These objects are accomplished by the use of snap fasteners, the female part of the fastener being secured in the insole of the shoe and the upper part of the same lying flush with the upper face of the insole, to provide a smooth surface for engagement with the arch of the foot when the arch support is not in use. The arch support is provided on its lower face with a pair of studs that may be snapped into the female part of the fastener secured in the insole when it is desirous of using the arch support in the shoe.

No part of this invention relates to the particular design of arch support that may be used, the principal feature being a support that may be placed into or taken out of a shoe as desired. The shoe may be made with one part of the snap fastener secured in the insole and flush with the upper face thereof and the arch support made with the other part of the fastener for permitting the arch support to be quickly inserted in the shoe.

These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a top plan view of my improved insole.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the arch support.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a shoe, parts being broken away and showing the arch support connected to the insole.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the insole l which may be of leather or any suitable material has the female members 2 and 3 pressed therein so that the upper faces of the same lie in the same plane as the upper face of the insole 1. It will be seen that the members 2 and 3 lie in a straight line extending longitudinally of the insole, and that the members 2 are spaced a relatively long distance from the members 3. As seen in Figs. 2 and 3 the arch support 4, which may be made of any resilient material, is provided with the studs 5 and 6 extending below the lower face '7 thereof and located near the ends of the same. Preferably the arch support 4 has the body thereof, particularly the portion toward the heel, of approximately the same width as the insole at its point of attachment thereto and thus the edges of at least the rear portion of the inserted arch support extend to the side walls of the shoe and support the foot arch from one edge to the other, which arrangement also serves to prevent lateral displacement of the arch support.

As best illustrated in Fig. 4 the stud 5 engages the rearmost member 2 while the stud 6 engages the rearmost member 3. If, as illustrated, the arch support is uncomfortable to the wearer all he has to do is to unsnap the stud 5 from the member 2 and the stud 6 from the member 3 and then move the arch support forward a slight amount and snap the stud 5 into the foremost member 2 and the snap 6 into the foremost member 3. Ordinarily when the shoe comes from the manufacturer a thinleather strip 8 is glued to the upper face of the insole 1 and will extend over the members 2. If it is desired to use the arch support the strip 8 will be torn back and cut off to allow the arch support to be snapped in place.

Although in the drawing but two adjustments have been provided, for adjusting the arch sup port in relation to the insole, it is to be understood that any number of adjustments may be provided for and still come within the scope of the appended claim. Likewise, although a snap fastener has been shown in the drawing it is possible to use a variety of different fasteners for securing the arch support to the insole without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the arch support has a normally upper flat surface and the under surface curved and of greatest thickness at its center. When positioned in the shoe this greater thickness is required to be positioned to support the center of the longitudinal arch of the foot and this adjustment on the longitudinal center line of the insole enables the arch to be variously positioned so that the greatestpressure may be applied at the center of the longitudinal arch of the wearers foot. It is this feature of greater thickness at the center of the device and the adjustment thereof along the longitudinal center line of the insole that is the particular feature and object of this invention.

From the foregoing description it becomes evi-.

dent that I have provided an arch support that may be quickly and easily adjusted to fit difierent wearers and further the shoe may be made with one part of a fastening member secured therein, the same being so placed as to cause no discomfort to the wearer of the shoe not using an arch support.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- In a shoe having an insole, a series of fastening devices arranged therein approximately on a longitudinal center line thereof, comprising a plurality of pairs spaced a distancev apartgreater than the distance between membersof the pair,

an arch support having a single pair of complemental fastening devices positioned on a longitudinal center line thereof and spaced a distance apart equal to the spacing between similar members of each of the said pairs of devices of the insole permitting the support to be adjusted along the said longitudinal center line of the insole to vary the point of support of thelongitudinal arch of the foot, said arch support having at least a rear portion thereof of approximately the 'same width as the insole and extending approximately to the side walls of the shoe, said arch support further being of greatest thickness intermediate its ends.

LESLIE D. NOBLE. 

